Protect and Survive VIII: Good Intentions
by RowenaR
Summary: Remember 'Show the World? This is the piece that ties up lose ends before the next big story. Also, I love writing work-out scenes with Lorne ;
1. Chapter 1

**Author:** RowenaR

**Rating:** K

**Category: **General

**Disclaimer:** Stargate belongs to Gekko and… all those other people making money with it. Anyway, I don't. Honestly. So – I don't own, you don't sue. Deal?

**Summary: **Remember 'Show the World'? This is the piece that ties up lose ends before the next big story. Also, I love writing work-out scenes with Lorne ;)**  
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**A/N: **Like I said, it's the three-chapter follow-up to _Show the World_, because **mac** pointed out that some things needed to be clarified before I start the next _big_ PAS piece (FYI, I'm about ten chapters into this story and... it will probably turn out into a veritable monster of a story...). Consider it a Christmas present that I finally concentrate more on PAS again ;)

Anyway, as always: Not a native speaker, so please excuse any weird grammatical constructions, run-ons and typos. Feedback will earn you a cookie, flames will roast my marshmellows.

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**Protect and Survive VIII: Good Intentions**

"_Yes, I'm just a soul whose intentions are good  
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."_

_Santa Esmeralda, "Don't let me be misunderstood"_

**One**

And it's another day of paper work… which is, as strange as it may sound, a _good_ thing. But then again, it's no wonder he actually looks forward to _paper work_, seeing as his last three missions contained exploding bugs, poisonous… _things_ and last but not least a scary kind of sexist Ancient technology and a village wedding to get him out of jail.

He sighs as he rounds the last bend before his office… and nearly stops dead in his tracks when he sees Lieutenant Simmons standing in front of it. Just for once, he thinks, just for _once_ he would have liked a day to go by without _any_ trouble… but he learned pretty fast that Lieutenant Simmons nearly _always_ mean trouble.

Unfortunately Simmons has already seen him and immediately moved to attention, displaying this stiff-necked, strangely dignified composure he had become pretty acquainted with. It usually means Simmons is about to do something he doesn't want to but can't get around because it's related to his duty as an officer of the US Air Force. Well… he'll only find out what it is if he swallows the bitter pill and exchanges paper work for whatever the Lieutenant wants to talk with him about.

He resists another sigh. If the thought about passing half the day in the broom cupboard he's allowed to call his "office" didn't have that much of an appeal before – in fact, he'd been toying with the thought of packing up the files and finding a nice secluded balcony to work on them – it has now lost _all_ of it. Putting on his business face, he walks up to Simmons who's still standing at attention.

He'd love to keep the Lieutenant standing at attention just for a moment longer, if only to amuse himself a little at the seriousness Simmons always displays. However… that would hardly be fair. And so the first thing he says is, "At ease, Lieutenant." Simmons relaxes a little and loses part of his severity, making him look less like he's trying to be someone he isn't. He clears his throat. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Bereft of the mask of military formality he hid behind only a moment ago, Simmons looks a lot more his age – a little insecure and trying to still make a good impression. "Sir… I… reconsidered the offer you made… a couple of weeks ago. I'd like to take it." Offer? Which offer… oh right. _That_ offer.

Does he really want to do that now? Talk about Laura and he to Simmons, after all that happened only a week ago? He throws a look at the closed office door behind Simmons and the strong aversion against having to sit down in that broom closet and let himself be accused of all kinds of things by a junior officer, wells up inside of him. However… it would be all kinds of impolite and just plain stupid if he sent Simmons away now.

A thought comes to him, a memory of something regarding Simmons that went through his head a while ago… "I'm glad to hear that, Lieutenant. And I'm glad you're here since you still have an unarmed combat evaluation due." Incomprehension and wariness appear on Simmons' face. Oh well. "Go get your work out clothes. We'll meet at the gym in ten."

For a moment, Simmons is still clueless and he's just _this_ close to add "That was an _order_, Lieutenant," but then things seem to register and Simmons nods. "Yes, sir." With that, he's off, obviously set on not angering his CO unnecessarily today. Seems like the kid _is_ able to learn, he thinks with just a hint of satisfaction because part of that _must_ be his merit as well.

Anyway, better get his own work out clothes and so he jogs back to his quarters – or is it now his and _Laura's_? – and hastens to get to the gym in under ten minutes, simply because he doesn't want to have his ego suffer from having been beaten by a man 10 years his junior. Involuntarily, he has to smile. Laura would have a field day now, claiming she _knew_ he was a slave to his ego, just like every other flyboy. Which is why, of course, he will never tell her about this.

And indeed he manages it in just under ten minutes but only because he knows this part of the city inside out and knows a few short cuts. Trying a few breathing exercises Teyla once taught him on one of these missions that consist mainly of waiting he tries to get his pulse under control and stop panting. Note to self, he thinks, _never_ let Laura see how vain he can be sometimes.

Anyway, Simmons has arrived as well and it's time to get rough. With a jerk of his head, he orders the Lieutenant into the work-out room and Simmons complies… still looking a little like he doubts his CO's sanity. Well, maybe someday he'll tell him that he's not the only one. Today though… they both simply put their stuff into a corner and get into a fighting stance.

So let's test how good the Lieutenant is with multitasking, he thinks. "So, Lieutenant… you wanted to talk?"

For a moment, Simmons looks like he'll revert back to that formal bearing of his and he uses this moment of imbalance and distraction to strike his first blow, almost _hoping_ Simmons won't make it _that_ easy for him. And indeed the Lieutenant blocks his blow and tries to use his momentum against him. Not bad. "Yes, sir."

He manages to unwind his hand from Simmons' grip just before he can break his equilibrium. "Anything special?" Come on, he thinks; don't make this too hard for both of us. Let's just get this over with. So far McPherson was _easy_ compared to you.

Simmons tries his first attack, thrusting the heel of his hand upwards to try and hit his chin. "Non-frat regs, sir." Well, at least he's to the point, he has to give him that much… and turns to the side, grabs Simmons' wrist and moves to flip the Lieutenant to the ground. There's a surprising amount of resistance coming from the Lieutenant but in the end he manages to bring him to the ground. For a moment he wishes Laura would have seen this… maybe that would make her stop calling him "old man" during hand-to-hand combat practice.

The Lieutenant lies on his back and he moves to kneel beside him fast to press his forearm against Simmons' throat. "I supposed so. But I thought we already talked about that?" He gives Simmons a few more seconds to see if he can get out of this on his own…

Yep. He can. In an almost daring move, the Lieutenant rolls on his side, and rams his knees into his back. The force of that makes him take his arm away from Simmons' throat… and knocks the wind from his lungs for moment. He should probably be thankful that Laura didn't see _that_ because she would either point out that she's right with calling him "old man" or feel compelled to get back at Simmons for that. Well, probably both.

Simmons managed to get him on his stomach and was fast enough to straddle him and push his head up with his arm against _his_ throat now. Argh. "We did, sir. However… I think I might…" oh come on, he thinks, struggling _not_ to struggle too much against Simmons' strangle hold; get it over with, will you? "I might have come to a reassessment of the situation, sir."

"Re… assessment, huh?" Damn, this position is becoming increasingly uncomfortable but he refuses to give up just yet. He's got years of experience ahead on this rookie and he will _not_ give in after only a few seconds.

"Yes, sir. Certain parameters… might have changed." Certain parameters? Good God, Simmons must really be the only soldier able to talk like in tactics class while holding his CO in a choke hold.

"Right. Care to… enlighten me further?" Okay, that must have been at least 30 seconds so it must be safe to end this. It's definitely _necessary_ to end this. "And… you may… want to let go now, Lieutenant."

Immediately, the hold at his throat ceases and the weight on his midriff is lifted. Straining _not_ to groan or cough he rolls on his back and rubs his throat. Man, someone's been to the workout room a _lot_. There's a polite clearing of a throat somewhere above him. "Uh… everything okay, sir?" Yeah, right, just what he needs. A green Lieutenant asking him if he should go easy on him. Laura really would have a field day… and then challenge the Lieutenant to a match he'd never forget.

He sits up, giving his best to look totally unfazed. "Yeah." And now… the good old changing topics tactic. Works every time. After all, he got Laura to agree to marry him with that. Granted, it wasn't exactly on _purpose_… anyway, "You wanted to tell me which parameters changed." Maybe _now_ the Lieutenant will help him clear up the gossip he heard in passing. Someone had said something about Simmons having been caught at making out with some IT technician by some officer or other… Laura swears she has no idea what people are talking about so he figured it could be best to ask one of the two mentioned.

Before Simmons replies, they both get up again, for another go at each other. "Right, sir. Well… uh…" he tries going with a side kick straight for the Lieutenant's chin – almost as if he wants to prove to himself that he's still as agile as ever – and only misses because Simmons is fast enough to jerk his head to the side. However, he only has to swing the leg a little further to the right to get Simmons full at the temple. He doesn't really hit him – in this kind of fight he _never_ puts all of his strength into his kicks and blows – but it's enough to make Simmons lose his equilibrium and fall down on his side.

With a dull sound, Simmons hits the mat and hurries to get up again so as not to be trapped in a hold again. "You were saying, Lieutenant?" Come on, he thinks; show me how good you are when you have to multitask during fighting. Show me you're here for a reason.

"I was saying, sir, that I didn't assess the situation correctly." Dammit, will that man _ever_ give him a straight answer? Obviously he's trying to make up for his recent misdemeanor and his outbursts with being overly correct and kind of… timid. With a slight annoyance he realizes that this doesn't really suit Simmons.

As if to punctuate his annoyance, he lunges at Simmons again, mimicking a motion to go for his throat with a knife, realizing that out of all the initial attacks up to now only _one_ came from Simmons and again this is something he wants to change.

He manages to get past Simmons' defense but the Lieutenant grabs his wrist, turns him around and turns his arm so that if he had a knife in his hand now he'd be in danger of cutting his own throat. Still annoyed at the Lieutenant's evasive answers, he uses his free hand to grab Simmons' forearm around his shoulders to jerk his right hand free and throw Simmons down on the ground over his shoulder in one fluid motion. Anticipating Simmons' attempt to get away, he doesn't waste any time and straddles him, holding him firmly on the ground. "Lieutenant, let me tell you one thing: If I don't get _any_ straight answers from you in the next ten seconds, you'll be cleaning the whole _team_'s equipment for the next two weeks. Do I make myself clear?"

Beneath him, Simmons swallows. Then, "Crystal, sir. Sir?" He raises his eyebrows.

"What?" Simmons swallows again. Look who has finally lost his cool. It gives him an odd sense of satisfaction, maybe because it shows how young Simmons really is and because he has managed to get past the Lieutenant's stoic defenses.

"Permission to, uh, drink something?" That baffles him a little. But then he realizes that this is probably Simmons' way of telling him that he can do a lot of multitasking during fighting but that he still prefers to do the serious talk in another manner without losing face too much. He releases the Lieutenant.

"Permission granted." Both stand up and walk over to their stuff. He takes out his bottle and walks over to the window to sit down. He doesn't need a break; he just doesn't want to do this talk while standing. Simmons follows suit and for a moment it's quiet.

Then Simmons' _finally_ takes heart. "Sir… when I came here, I… was still under the impression that this was solely a forward operating base." He nods, gesturing for Simmons to go on. "I wasn't… prepared for the fact that there were so many civilians living here and that parts of the personnel have been living here for several years… like you and Captain Cadman, for example." He nods, abstaining from pointing out that Laura has passed a lot less time than him here. "Anyway, uh… I just… I just didn't realize at first that things are _different_ here."

He can't help smiling a little. "Happens to the best of us, Lieutenant. Actually… it happened to _me_." That's really some kind of admission but sometimes you have to give your subordinates a glimpse of your weaknesses to get along with them… to lead them. It's something he learned from Sheppard. Well, and somehow also from holding out on his feelings for Laura from her for so long.

It seems to work with Simmons as well, at least in a way. A little disbelieving, the Lieutenant looks at him. "It… did?"

A little resigned he sighs. "Yeah, it did. When I got here, I realized pretty fast that things were different from the SGC but I needed… I needed my time to adjust. Oh, hey, want to know what happened when I finally did?" It's a bit risky to tell Simmons of all people the story of the mission where they found Ronon but somehow he thinks deep down Simmons would love the story.

Simmons nods and says, "Uh… sure, sir," but he has the feeling that he only says it to be polite. Oh well.

"We went searching for a former member Colonel Sheppard's team and I got McKay as a partner while combing the woods. I tried to make the best of it, but you know… McKay's… McKay. Anyway, let's just say… there's a reason why Dr. McKay and I will never get along really well." And then he goes in for the kill, probing how Simmons will react. "Although, Laura says… she likes how I handle the doc." He even adds a smirk.

He half waits for Simmons to explode again or close himself off again but instead the Lieutenant blushes slightly at the mention of Laura's name and says, after clearing his throat, "About Captain Cadman… sir… I guess I… owe her an apology. Well, another."

Now _that_ comes as a surprise. Not that the thought hadn't occurred to him before, but actually hearing it from Simmons is something completely different. He knows he should just tell Simmons that he should talk to _Laura_ then but something in him still broods over the question whether Simmons had let slip the thing about Laura's dressing down intentionally or not. "Really? Mind telling me why?" And… wait… _another_?

If Simmons now told him that this isn't any of his business or that he doesn't want to talk about it… he'd understand it and let it go. He doesn't want to _force_ the Lieutenant to talk about it, no matter how much it might seem like it. "Well… I gave her a reason for going off on me, sir. Basically… she had every right to do it." Oh, maybe he should keep Simmons from apologizing to Laura after all. She would be insufferably smug for at least a week. "The things she said… made a lot of sense. Should have listened to her, sir."

Well… if he isn't mistaken… Simmons just more or less admitted he'd done the slip of tongue thing on purpose. Damn. Why did he have to push the boy so far? Couldn't he just have been content with Simmons behaving much less like the only book he ever read was the UCMJ? Had he really _wanted_ to know that? He sighs. "Yes, you should have." This is as far as he will go with taking action against Simmons, he has just decided. It was a very stupid thing to do for the Lieutenant, no matter if Laura had overstepped her boundaries or not – and more and more he gets the feeling she _really_ had some very good reasons – but the Lieutenant is still young and even USAF officers are allowed to make mistakes when they're still young. "Lieutenant… I hope you learned something from this."

Simmons leans forward, his hands folded around his neck. Well… it's never easy to accept you've been an idiot. "Yes, sir. Oh, and… I'm sorry to you, sir. I… uh… I might have been… not exactly easy to get along with." _That_ is the understatement of the _year_. Simmons had been tightlipped – in a way totally different from self-confident McPherson… more born out of insecurity and stubbornness – unsocial… always like a volcano ready to explode any moment.

"Damn right you are, Lieutenant." Simmons blushes again. Had he really ever been that young?

"Captain Cadman… said… she basically said I'm lucky to have you as a CO because few others would be fair and patient enough to keep me for long." She said that, huh? He wonders if Laura… saw a piece of herself in Simmons because quite frankly… he'd had to be patient with _her_ again and again ever since nearly the first day they had both arrived in Atlantis.

"She's right, actually. I don't think you'd have lasted long under the command of… say… Major Moore or Major Teldy. Or Captain Cadman." That only serves to let the slight despair in Simmons' eyes grow more prominent and feels himself starting to feel sympathy for the Lieutenant. He sighs. "Look, Lieutenant… you're still young and I have that feeling that you're someone who wants to do everything _right_, for every price. And someone who's very impulsive."

Simmons shrugs his shoulders a little helplessly. "You're… you're right, sir, and I'm sorry for that. You know… the UCMJ, sir… it gave me a kind of… a lifeline. Living by the Code meant to be… in control. When I came here…" He remembers a conversation with Moore mentioning that Reece thought Simmons' biggest problem was confusion and disorientation and she'd been so fucking _right_. Damn, he should have seen that earlier.

He nods. "Lieutenant… there's one thing I want you to know: It's not a bad thing for an officer to be an impulsive person _per se_. In fact…" I'm engaged to one, he'd nearly answered but Laura and him had agreed on only sharing these news with Colonel Sheppard and Mr. Woolsey for the time being, "I live with one. I also understand that you turned to the UCMJ to try and get some order into your life. However… you might want to try learning that even _these_ rules can't and shouldn't be applicable to every situation in life. When the UCMJ was created… _Atlantis_ hadn't even been an _idea_ yet. Get my drift?"

Actually… that just had been one of the hardest speeches he ever had given to anyone. Before Atlantis, before _Laura_… he'd often enough felt like Simmons about the UCMJ. One of the hardest lessons he had had to learn yet had been to let go a little of his complete and utter trust in the sense of military rules and regulations. Sure, often enough he'd silently – and sometimes even openly – questioned the sanity of the creators for certain rules and even bent them where he had had to but deep down he'd always harbored the hope and trust that there really was sense behind each and every rule created. He wonders if any of this shows through.

But Simmons seems to be lost in thought a little himself. He gives him another moment and then the Lieutenant comes back on his own. "Yes, sir. Yes, I think I do. Or… I'm starting to." Initially… he'd wanted to tell the Lieutenant exactly what was required of him if he wanted to stay on the team and what would happen if he wouldn't hit those marks… but somehow that quiet admission… tells him he doesn't have to. And he shouldn't, if he wants to get along with Simmons in the future.

"Well… fair enough for now. Keep working on it, though." With that he gets up. Break's been long enough, anyway.

Simmons gets up himself and nods. "Yes, sir."

"Oh, and it might be a good idea to actually go to _Captain Cadman_ if you feel the need to apologize to her. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Even though I'll never hear the end of it if you do, he thinks, but if it makes her happy… who is he to hold Simmons back from it? Not waiting for Simmons answer he jerks his head into the direction of the center of the room. "Now, come on, we aren't done yet with the hand-to-hand-combat evaluation yet."


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

Ah, finally lunch… unfortunately without Evan because _someone_ didn't finish his paper work in time. But maybe… oh, Teyla. Teyla should prove to be a nice lunch companion. Satisfied she found someone she can pass her lunch break with, she picks up her tray and walks over to Teyla who is sitting at an otherwise unoccupied table. Been a while since she last had an undisturbed conversation with Teyla so she's even kind of thankful not to see her accompanied by her team or her family.

She puts her tray down but Teyla doesn't look up from her own. That strikes her as a little odd because Teyla isn't one to pass her lunch breaks brooding all on her own. She clears her throat. "Hey, uh… mind if I sit down?"

Now Teyla looks up… a little startled? Is that what she looks like? Huh. After a short moment Teyla finds back to her usual form, smiles at her and says, "No, of course not. Please do." Well… that isn't how she thought this would go. There's a strange awkwardness in the air, one that has never been there before… and Teyla doesn't really appear to be herself. Somehow she's preoccupied and… ah, hell. She sits down.

Awkward pause. Now _that_ is something highly unusual. Pretending, though, that there's nothing out of the ordinary, she starts to eat. It's silent for a little while longer and she's almost ready to lose her patience and say something anyway when Teyla seems to have decided that she wants to put on the appearance of normalcy. "So… is everything back to… how do you say? Business as usual? Is that the right phrase?"

She gives Teyla a half smile. "Yep, that's what we say. And I guess you mean between Evan and me, huh?" Teyla nods. "Yeah, we're mostly back to normal… know what's scaring me a little?" There's a shake of her head from Teyla. It makes her grin a little conspiratively. "I just saw Evan and Simmons come out of the work-out room… giving off those… _buddy_ vibes. Know what I mean?"

Confusion graces Teyla's face for a moment but then she seems to understand what she means with that. "I think… yes. But why would that be scary?"

"Because give it another two weeks or something… and Simmons will be Evan's most loyal minion. Evan has the talent to inspire that kind of thing in people." He certainly did in her… which is why until now she could never stay furious with him for long… and why she went up against Simmons like she had, even though she had known she was walking a _very_ fine line there.

Teyla, though, just smiles. "Yes, he has. You are very lucky to have him." Now… that's something strange because it sounded so… _wistful_. Like Teyla was wishing for something like that herself… which would be absolutely strange, seeing as she has a team she can trust blindly and a son who's absolutely adorable and a doting father for her son.

She takes a look at Teyla again and realizes that beneath the very thin layer of her usual serenity, Teyla looks troubled; like something is eating away at her and she is afraid to talk to someone about it. "Yeah, I know I am." Teyla doesn't say anything, just moves the food on her plate around a little. Alright… this will get them nowhere. Time for bulldozer-Laura again. "Teyla… no offense but… who are you trying to kid?"

Teyla looks up at her again, blinking. "I… do not know what you mean." Like hell she doesn't know it.

Maybe… maybe she should let it lie, not poke around any further… but then she remembers the talk she had with Teyla prior to her "wedding" and that it hadn't been finished back then… and she says, "I think you do, Teyla, and very well at that. We talked about it before and you promised me we'd finish that talk."

The fact that Teyla of all people suddenly averts her eyes and looks everywhere but her tells her she just hit the bull's eye. But of course Teyla wouldn't be Teyla if she let herself be steamrolled that easily. "I really have no idea what you are talking about, Laura."

She resists a sigh. "Yes, you do. Look, Teyla… I'm just… trying to repay a favor to you, you know."

That makes Teyla curious enough that she finally looks at her again, a little inquisitive. "What do you mean by this?"

Carefully she puts away her knife and fork and replies, "A while ago… you told me that you can't solve problems by pretending that nothing happened and that in the end being honest is always better than anything else. You helped me to realize that some things… are worth risking everything for them."

For a while, Teyla is silent… but then it seems like she has finally realized that she won't get out of this anyway. A little resignedly she admits, "Yes, I do think I remember this conversation. And I take it… you are here to tell me the same now?"

"Something like that, yeah." Okay, so now that she got Teyla to listen to her… she can go in full-force. "Look, Teyla… you can try and tell everyone – including yourself – that you and Kanaan are doing what's right but… everyone can see that you're _not_."

It's very evident that Teyla is getting really uncomfortable and for a moment she contemplates drawing back and steering this conversation into another less difficult direction but then again… what she starts she finishes. No way she's going to give either of them a chance to butt out now. "He is Torren's father, Laura."

She nods. "True but that doesn't automatically mean that living with him is the right thing to do. I know you're gonna deny it but it's pretty evident that neither of you is entirely happy with the current arrangement. And someone _else_ isn't happy about it either." Come on, she thinks, don't make me mention Colonel Sheppard's name in plain sight and hearing of everyone. You really don't want them listening in to us _openly_.

Again, Teyla takes her time with answering. Then the only thing she says is, "It is… too late, Laura. There never was the right time." Damn, they're running around in circles here and she's starting to get impatient.

With a sigh, she says, "Teyla… if there's one thing I learned in the last few years it's that for some things there's _never_ gonna be a right time. For example for telling people that you don't love them. Or that you _do_. I'm surprised that I have to tell _you_ of all people that waiting never got anyone anywhere. You either do it… or you don't. But you have to make a decision."

And that's really all this is about: Making a real decision instead of simply letting the torrent of events take you with it and go along because you're too scared of what could happen if you try swimming against the stream.

She can see conflicting emotions pass over Teyla's usually serene face, a testament to how much this whole topic is stirring up her mind and heart. It's something she doesn't envy Teyla for because it reminds her almost too much of her own predicament not that long ago, having been torn between Carson and Evan and not having a clue of what to do about it. Sometimes she thinks that if Evan hadn't simply taken matters into his own hands and kissed her on the balcony she'd have been confused and torn enough to seriously consider leaving Atlantis again.

After a few moments of Teyla contemplating what she just said, Teyla puts away her cutlery and takes a deep breath. "Laura… would you excuse me, please? I think I have to go look for Kanaan." For just a moment she's tempted to sigh deeply in relief but she manages not to let it show… well, too much.

"Don't worry. I've got to be in the conference room in about ten minutes anyway." Oops. Don't ask me about it now, Teyla, come on… she nearly begs because she'd have to lie then and she hates lying to friends. And maybe a little diversion tactics never fails, so she adds, "And good luck finding Kanaan."

Teyla smiles at her as they both get up. "Thank you." Finally… the mood seems to clear a little between the two of them and that tells her that Teyla indeed just made a _decision_ and has quit waiting. Sensing it's not yet the place and time to ask her about the nature of her decision, she cuts them both some slack and changes the topic of their conversation to lighter matters before leaving Teyla go off in search of Kanaan and steeling herself for what awaits her in the conference room.

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**A/N:** Yep, it's another one. One more chapter to come for this story, then it's a new big one. As of now, I'm 14 chapters into the story... and **mac** betaed 13 of them during the time she was supposed to be on betacation. Is there anyone apart from me who's just a little bit scared about this?


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

When he arrives at the conference room, Laura is there, looking just a little… nervous? Yeah, definitely nervous. Huh. It's not like Woolsey and Sheppard don't already _know_ they're a couple and he's pretty sure that people have been betting on whether they'll get married or not anyway, so no reason to be nervous about anything… right?

Yeah, right, except he isn't exactly his usual calm and confident self. Laura must have seen it – probably his too nervous little smile gave him away – because she smirks and then says, "So… Simmons is your new best friend?"

Uh… damn. She must have seen them on their way back from the work-out room, talking with each other without the usual restraint and tension. He takes great care to mirror her smirk. "Scared about it?"

She rolls her eyes demonstratively. "You obviously don't know me as well as I thought you did."

Ah, right, that was to be expected. Because everyone knows that Laura Cadman isn't scared of anything or anyone. They'll just conveniently forget about all the times when he _saw_ her being scared then. "Ah, that just means it won't get boring with you." She wants to reply something to that but they _are_ on a schedule here. He gives her a grin. "Later, Buttercup." She sticks out her tongue but doesn't object when he knocks on one of the panels to the conference room.

A moment later it opens and they enter. Woolsey sits at one side of the table, with Sheppard beside him, going through some figures with him. That's good, really. So at least they don't have to go through this _twice_. He clears his throat and Woolsey finally looks up. "What can I do for you, Major? Captain?"

He can't resist throwing Laura a look again and she throws something back that looks something like 'What? You keep telling me you're senior rank whenever it's convenient for you… so do your job.' Yeah, that was to be expected. She'll probably never stop reminding him of his excuse for not letting her help him… oh well. "We'd like to… we have something to tell you, sir. You both, actually."

"You didn't knock up Cadman, right?" Judging from Sheppard's almost frightened look, Laura and he must have reacted with about the same look in their eyes: Consternation followed by something very close to… the promise of never saving his ass in combat – or _anywhere_ else – ever again.

However, he tries to keep at least a little of his dignity and almost grinds out, "No, I did not. Sir."

This is one of the very rare occasions he sees Sheppard embarrassed and even a little contrite. Which is helped along nicely with Mr. Woolsey adding a little stiffly, "And we never seriously considered this possibility, did we, Colonel Sheppard?"

Sheppard clears his throats and tries to get back at least a little of his decorum. "No, sir."

Satisfied that just for once he was the one getting out of something dignified, Mr. Woolsey turns back to them and asks a little less serious, "So… what _did_ you want to tell us?"

He wants to speak up and give them the nice little speech he rehearsed in his head to sound as professional as possible but Laura throws a spanner in his plans. "He wants to marry me." Suddenly everyone turns to her and her almost smug face changes to sheepish. "And… I want to marry him. Of course." Now they're all throwing her looks that can only be described with being the non-verbal equivalent of "What the fuck?" She bites her lip. "I mean… we want to marry _each other_?"

Not able to decide between being irritated at her charging ahead and being amused at that lovely, lovely shade of red on her cheeks he tries to keep from laughing and says, "I think they got it now, Laura."

She has the guts to make a face towards him and this time it's Mr. Woolsey who clears his throat to remind them they aren't alone in the room and Sheppard who seems to start enjoying this little scene. He just hopes – for Sheppard, that is – that Sheppard will take their non-verbal threats seriously and refrain from any other blunders. "Indeed we did, Major. And because of that… would you please have a seat?"

He's not quite sure if that's a good sign or not but he decides to treat it as the latter, if only because he usually prides himself to be an optimist. So he sits down opposite to Mr. Woolsey and Colonel Sheppard with Laura beside him. Mr. Woolsey then takes a deep breath… and a frown appears on his face. Uh-oh. "So… this is quite… an interesting development." And we have a winner for the Understatement of the Year Award. At least that's what Sheppard's face says and probably his own as well. "May I ask when you decided this?"

Okay, here comes the hard and probably embarrassing part. He looks at Laura, this time making sure she won't barge in and then looks back to Woolsey, slightly rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger before answering, "A week ago, sir."

At that… Woolsey and Sheppard share a look saying pretty plainly that they have made the connection to a certain mission immediately. And of course Sheppard can't refrain from pointing out, "You mean three days after that mission we aren't allowed to mention in either of your vicinities?"

He's just _this_ close to grumbling that it's _Rodney's_ job to state the obvious but just for the sake of getting this over with he keeps his tongue in check. Instead he says, "Yes, sir. Three days after the very one."

Now Sheppard and Woolsey exchange a look and… no, that can't be good. Sheppard and _Woolsey_ exchanging looks… no. There's no way that could be a good sign. After another pause it's Woolsey who finally says, "Just to make sure I understood this correctly: You decided to get married three days after you came back from a mission where Captain Cadman had to marry you, Major Lorne, as a formality to get you out of prison which neither of you found much to their liking. Is that about right?"

Another look at Laura and then it's both of them who answer, "Yes, sir," in perfect unison. He _knew_ this would be hell, no matter how often Laura had tried to assure him everything would be fine. So much for being an optimist.

Woolsey takes off his glasses, rubs his forehead and then puts them on again. Sheppard beside him looks a little like he can't quite decide between being thoroughly amused by all of this or openly questioning both his and Laura's sanity. For the time being, though, he seems to have decided to let Woolsey do the talking, "Major, Captain… you do realize that this raises a few questions, right?"

This time they don't even have to look each other to give Woolsey and Sheppard another unified, "Yes, sir."

Another sigh from Woolsey, almost as if he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. "First and foremost and please don't be offended but I _have_ to ask this question, are you sure about this? Please understand it could pose a great difficulty for both of you still serving here if you are married. Technically, the IOA rules do make it possible but…" Woolsey shakes his head again and since nothing comes, he assumes it's safe to talk again.

"We understand, sir. However, we are also absolutely sure about this." He considers phrasing now very carefully how the whole wedding thing wasn't the cause for a stupid impulse he would regret later but in the end he decides to be direct just for once and says, "I would have asked Captain Cadman anyway, only maybe a few weeks give or take later." Beside him it sounds very much like Laura has a hard time not choking. Probably because he never told her about _that_ before but it's true. In the end, the wedding thing had just served to trigger something that had been there anyway.

This time it's Sheppard who speaks up, probably to save Woolsey from having to be the only one asking uncomfortable questions. "You could have said something about that before, you know." What, and have Laura learn about it through someone else, preferably McKay or someone just as inconsiderate? "Seriously, I feel offended. As your CO and friend, I expected to be privy to this as soon as you decided to ask. _Someone_ needed to make sure you did it properly, you know." What the…?

Woolsey seems to have thought the same since he turns around to look at Sheppard, almost as if he was very disappointed to be betrayed like this. Sheppard, on the other hand, looks kind of smug that he just got to fool at least _two_ people. And by the look of it, Laura didn't count on _that_ reaction as well. She is the first to recover from it, though, and says with a little smirk, "I can assure you that Major Lorne asked as properly as he could, sir. I wouldn't have said yes if it had been any different."

A little put off because Sheppard diverted the conversation like that, Woolsey turns to him and says, frowning, "Well, now that we cleared that up, could we please get back to the problem at hand?" He doesn't look happy… and he looks even _less_ happy when Sheppard clears his throat.

"Richard… could I please talk to you for a minute? I'm sure Major Lorne and Captain Cadman wouldn't mind waiting outside." That was as clearly a dismissal as it could ever be. And it did scare him a little. What could be so bad about them wanting to marry each other that Sheppard remembers how to be discreet about throwing out two subordinates so he could argue with Woolsey without either of them losing face?

It seems as if Woolsey just had the same thought but in the end he says, "Right. Major, Captain, would you please excuse us for a moment?" He looks at Laura and they both nod and leave the room to let Sheppard and Woolsey do their talking.

Once outside, there is for a short moment something like tense and uncomfortable silence between them until he takes heart and says, "Until now… it wasn't going that bad, huh?"

Her first reaction is a look that clearly tells him she's debating whether he's as demented as that comment was but then she snorts and replies, "Totally. I liked your look when I stole your light when _I_ told them about… you know what."

He can't help smirking and shooting back, "And _I_ liked your look when Sheppard asked if I got you pregnant." She only sticks out her tongue and he's pretty glad no one in the Gate room pays them any real attention.

After that, there's silence again and he can see that despite her usual fooling around, she's as wound up as he is, concerned about what Sheppard has to talk about with Woolsey and how they will decide. Since he proposed to her and she said yes he felt a bit like walking on a cloud but it seems like he might find himself hitting the ground rather hard in a few moments. As much as to calm down her and himself, he softly says, "Laura… I'm sure everything will be okay. There's really no reason they should say no, you know."

She makes a face and then says, "I know and you're probably right but… Evan, just in case they say one of us has to leave if we marry, then I just want you to know… I would… well… you know…" He's about to tell her that no way he'll let her be the one sacrificing her career here so they can marry, the door opens again. Oh well.

Woolsey beckons them to come in and take a seat again and tells them without preamble, "Major Lorne, Captain Cadman… we decided to give our permission. However, you will have to go through all the proper channels and there will be no wedding until everyone responsible has agreed and signed their approval." In this moment… it's as if they lifted a whole mountain off his chest and he feels his heart beat quicken as the impact of this makes it through to him. In fact, he's just _this_ close to grabbing Laura's hand and squeezing it as hard as he can. "I'd just like to remind you that this can take up to six months. You will also be required to take obligatory sessions with Dr. Obanashi to determine if this marriage won't bring any problems." Yeah, well, that was to be expected. They _did_ read the according parts in the IOA memo regarding relationships among Atlantis personnel prior to this meeting.

Obviously, Woolsey is finished with his part but Sheppard seems to be wanting to say something as well, "I'd also advise you to see General Landry about this when you're back on Earth in three months. I'm pretty sure that could help to speed up the whole process." Oh great, General Landry. Just the guy you want to see shortly before going on leave to present your girlfriend – fiancé – to your family for the first time… who doesn't even know yet that she _is_ your fiancé.

But yeah, Sheppard could be right. He nods. "Yes, sir. Thanks for the hint."

Sheppard nods. "You're welcome." After that, they are dismissed and when the doors close behind them, they can finally grin at each other.

"Well… that went well, didn't it?" At that, she snorts.

"Absolutely. I liked the parts about Obanashi and General Landry best." Judging from her face… not really. Which was to be expected, most of all that thing with not being overjoyed about having to see Obanashi again. Something tells him they aren't exactly best of friends. He wants to say something about it but gets cut short by her adding, "So, about this thing with Simmons…"

Dammit, he should have known she wouldn't let that go. So he decides to use a patented tactic. "I think he's just a wee bit scared of you."

Unfortunately, she doesn't look impressed. Well, much. "You're just saying that because you want to flatter me and to distract me from those buddy vibes you're both suddenly giving off."

Oh well… no use in denying it, is there? "Yeah, okay, I did." Then he throws her one of those grins he knows she finds sexy for some reason and says, "Did it work?"

That gets him an unwilling amused little smile. "A bit."

Satisfied and just a little bit impatient, he replies, "Good. Now can we stop talking about Simmons, please?"

"What, you have something else on your mind?" The way she raises her eyebrows… and the curve of her smile that widens a little… mh…

"Yeah, but that's totally not safe for corridors." Let's see if it worked…

"I'm already dying to hear about it." Jackpot. Okay, so she said it in a slightly sarcastic way, as if she didn't care a bit about what he just said but he knows her well enough. Doesn't he?

Anyway, he can be sarcastic as well. "Yeah, I can imagine _that_."

She gives him a haughty look. "I doubt that." At his questioning look she explains, "You're a Zoomie. Exuberant imagination is not part of your job description."

After he has made sure no one's around to see them, he grabs her around her waist, growling, "I'll give you some exuberant imagination."

Her surely highly inappropriate and descriptive answer is drowned out by her laughter as they half-chase down the corridor and half make out in one or two corners. They only barely make it back to their quarters and he's really glad the universe decides to leave them alone at least for this evening.

* * *

**A/N: **So... we're finished with this little interlude which means you should be on the lookout for the first chapter of the next big story (by now **mac** has betaed 13 chapters and I wrote 15 and right now there's no end in sight... is anyone as scared about this as I am?). Stay tuned ;)


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